Treatment of 24-EBL to Brassica juncea Plants Under Cu-metal Stress Lowers Oxidative Burst by Activity of Antioxidative Enzymes

Abstract

Heavy metal contamination is becoming a major threat to plants due to increasing industrialization. Copper is one of essential element required in trace amounts for the regular development of plants. Its excessive concentration alters the metabolism of plants. Brassinosteroids are polyhydoxylated steroidal plant hormone found to alleviate the various abiotic stresses including heavy metal stress. In the present study, effect of 24-EBL was studied in Brassica juncea plants under Cu stress. The B. juncea was grown in Cu (0, 0.25mM, 0.50mM and 0.75mM) treated soil. The seeds was soaked in the solution of 24-EBL (0, 10-7, 10-9 and 10-11 M) for 8 hours. The plants were harvested on 45th DAS. The harvested plants were used for the protein quantification and analysis of antioxidative enzymes (CAT, SOD, POD, GR, APOX, DHAR and MDHAR). The results revealed that Cu treatment lowered the protein content, while at the same time, application of 24-EBL improved the protein content. The activity of various enzymes increased under the Cu stress. The application of 24-EBl had further enhanced the activity of enzymes indicating that it may relieve the oxidative stress caused by the copper metal.

Keywords

• Brassinosteroids
• Stress
• Antioxidative enzymes
• Protein